The List: One of a kind Big Valley Jamboree kicks off Thursday with Riley Green

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The first syllable in Big Valley Jamboree says it all: there is simply no other music festival with sheer force of scale, top modern country acts and an honest-to-God rodeo running every morning with Bulls for Breakfast (and meat is most definitely on the menu). Big ain’t half of it.

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The first syllable in Big Valley Jamboree says it all: there is simply no other music festival with sheer force of scale, top modern country acts and an honest-to-God rodeo running every morning with Bulls for Breakfast (and meat is most definitely on the menu). Big ain’t half of it.

Thousands of RVs form a mini metropolis each year around the Camrose Exhibition Grounds southeast down Hwy 21 for this hillbilly Mecca, starting with its legendary kick-off party Thursday with Jacksonville, Alabama-born former Division 1 FCS quarterback Riley Green.

And it’s not often BVJ has a female performer in its top-three headliners, Heart Like a Truck singer Lainey Wilson topping main stage Saturday, with ‘Til You Can’t and With You I Am hitmaker Cody Johnson hitting the stage 9 p.m. Friday after Kip Moore, Jo Dee Messina and Josh Ross.

Now-classic Keith Urban’s up top Sunday after local workhorse Brett Kissel in a great spot, plus Phil Vassar and Jake Worthington.

Before Wilson, PS, it’s the legendary Terri Clark, The Reklaws and Hailey Benedict in a woman-strong Saturday main stage lineup.

And it’s all hosted by the inimitable and whip-smart Danny Hooper.

There are, of course, dozens of other acts you can find listed at bigvalleyjamboree.com, not to mention the amazing midway, trade fair, lumberjack shows, karaoke contest and nightly dance parties which will surely result in some new humans popping into the world some months down the road.

Getting in is a complicated set of possibilities with a number of them already sold out — but three-day general admission ($300 plus fees) and reserved seating tickets ($450 plus fees) are still up for grabs on the website, as well as single day general admission ($175 plus fees) and kick-off party tickets at just $50, plus fees.

Find it all at bigvalleyjamboree.com, y’all.

And bring your favourite cowboy hat and plenty of rubber — just in case that legendary thunder rolls in.